Art Nouveau Glass
was a natural medium for art nouveau artists to use and the style
of decoration was popular in the 1890's and 1900's. The style lasting
until the first world war in Europe in 1914. It uses free flowing
motifs based on nature.
Geofrey Warren captured the essence of Art Nouveau with the words:
"Think of a sensuous line: of a flowing line: a line which
bends and turns back on itself. Think of the feminine form, rounded
and curving. Think of plant forms growing and burgeoning. Think
of flowers in bud, in over-blown blossom, as seed pods. Think
of ....waves, think of women's hair, think of twisting smoke."
 Art
Nouveau glass was made by many great artists, including Emile
Galle, Louis C. Tiffany, the Daum
brothers at Daum Nancy, Muller Freres, Loetz, and the Powells at
Whitefriars and
many others.
In Germany the style is called Jugenstil and in Italy Floreal or
Liberty. In Austria it is called Secessionstil and in France it
was often called Modern Style.
The name Art Nouveau is derived from a Paris gallery called 'Maison
de L'Art Nouveau', which played a major role in displaying and popularising
the style.
Art Nouveau was in part a reaction to the Victorian passion for
imitating earlier styles like Classical and Renaissance, Baroque
and Rococo.
Imitations of works of art from the past seemed to give the Victorians
a sense of security and confidence in their own affluence.
Art Nouveau was something fresh,
entirely new, and a break-away from the old traditions. It was also
in part a reaction to the perceived ugliness and despair of the
machine age; art nouveau was a blaze of invention, fantasy and audacity.
Start your Art Nouveau Glass collection by flicking though our
Art
Nouveau Glass for Sale section.
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